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GURPS Fallout Wiki
Welcome to the Wiki The Fallout timeline is not the same as ours. Some time after World War II, the timelines diverged and this world began developing differently. The Red Scare never ended, for example. Society is still very similar to the 1950s in many ways: the architecture, the cars, the quintessential nuclear family and its cultural values....and the fear of communists. The Soviet Union never collapsed, and China never engaged in the free market reforms of the 1970s. Vietnam was a declared war rather than an unofficial one, and the United States was re-divided into 13 commonwealths (the states maintained some level of independence, but California was split among three different commonwealths). One of the most important developments is a shift in focus. Rather than manufacturing the transistor, thus leading to the microchip and miniaturized computers, the Fallout world focused on atomic power. Nuclear power plants became common, with New York City nearly being destroyed when its underground reactor went into meltdown in 2065. Controllable nuclear fusion was developed, becoming miniaturized to the point where batteries smaller than your fist could harness the power of the atom. Power technology was so advanced that personal laser and plasma weapons were developed and on their way to becoming standard issue by the time of the Great War. Cars are often nuclear powered, which can be a bit of a problem should they get damaged too much... Likewise, computers are extremely primitive....mostly. The Fallout world runs on 1950s "Science!", which is why an entire room of reel-to-reel tape machines and punch card slots can create a convincingly human artificial intelligence. Desktop computers exist at a real world 1980s level, with a 100% text-based command line interface and heavy cathode ray tube screens, but still have the development of email and networking. Even robots have been made with noticeable artificial intelligence, and there's post-war rumors of androids that look and act exactly like humans. Speaking of the odd science, radiation does strange things. In the real world, radiation gives you cancer and kills you. In the Fallout world, radiation can turn people into immortal zombie-like ghouls, mutate plants into unusual forms, and make animals grow to the size of cars. What this all leads to is a 1950s vision of the future, an often comedic look at the naivety of the past mixed with gritty realism and horror. And that's what led to the Great War. In 2052, oil begins to run out. The European Commonwealth, angry at the Middle East raising oil prices, starts the Resource Wars. The United Nations fails to keep the peace and disbands shortly afterward. The US military sent troops into Mexico in 2051 to force them to keep their oil refineries running and sending fuel to the United States, but closed their borders shortly before the war on the other side of the world when the New Plague (in fact an American bioweapon stolen and released by Chinese agents) kills tens of thousands of people. In 2053, a terrorist nuclear bomb destroys Tel Aviv, Israel. The Resource Wars shift into a limited nuclear exchange. Frightened by the escalating conflict and the New Plague, Operation: Safehouse is begun by the US government. In 2054, massive underground settlements called Vaults are built across the nation to hide the population in the event of a global catastrophe. As the Resource Wars end in 2060 due to the dried up Middle East oil wells (causing the European Commonwealth to dissolve into infighting), the Anchorage Front Line is established to protect American resources in Alaska against the protests of Canadians having to deal with the influx of American troops, as well as their neighbors viewing Canada as "Little America." As traffic around the world stops moving due to the exorbitant cost of gasoline, work begins on electric and nuclear cars. Just in time for early developments to be made on power armor (to try and turn infantry into walking armored units), China begins a desperate war with the United States to wrest control of the remaining oil supplies. By 2066, a full blown war is occurring in Alaska. Against Canadian protests, almost all of the resources in the nation are stripped to fuel the fight. After protests and riots hit Canadian cities and an angry group of citizens attempt to sabotage the oil pipeline, America begins official annexation of Canada and completes it in 2076. Meanwhile, America invades the Chinese mainland. America begins slipping, with soldiers in power armor killing citizens while attempting to quell food riots. Knowledge leaks to the public of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, which started as an attempt to stop the New Plague but became an illegal super soldier project. The whole world seems to have tipped over the brink of disaster. But the worst is yet to come. On October 23, 2077, somebody launched a nuclear missile at the other side. Nobody's sure who fired first, only that the entire Great War lasted only 2 hours. Almost every piece of Earth was blasted by nuclear fire. Mountain ranges were leveled and created by the buckling tectonic plates. Rivers and oceans became contaminated by radiation until they glowed green when viewed from space. Human civilization was wiped out. Not every Vault was full when the bombs dropped. Constant drills led to a "cry wolf" effect, with many citizens remaining in their homes when the day finally came. But that wasn't the only problem. The Vaults were actually a massive social experiment by the Enclave, a shadowy group that controlled the United States government behind the scenes. Some of the Vaults were built with doors that didn't seal, letting radiation in purely to see what would happen to the residents. One pumped hallucinogenic gas into the air. One was designed to never open, leaving the citizens locked inside indefinitely. Some were allowed to open up safe and sound, using their GECK (Garden of Eden Creation Kit) to build a village and restart civilization. Virtually every Vault had a different purpose, many of which were horrific experiments. The Fallout games take place after the Great War. The first game takes place in 2161, less than a century after the apocalypse. On the other hand, the latest game (Fallout 4) takes place in 2287, more than 200 years after. While a game could certainly be played in the pre-war era, this guide is meant primarily to provide resources for a post-apocalyptic world. Pages Weapons Food & Drink Drugs Factions Geography Latest activity Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Add one below! Category:Browse